


Lost

by reversustenebris



Series: Two Princes!AU [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dialogue Heavy, Hurt No Comfort, Light description of injury, This is sad sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26352727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reversustenebris/pseuds/reversustenebris
Summary: Tommy and Tubbo have been missing for a few days now, directly following the war. Wilbur's sick of waiting.
Series: Two Princes!AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914937
Comments: 8
Kudos: 246





	Lost

Wilbur ran his fingers along the stone walls of L’Manberg as he paced a route around the perimeter. It was his fifth time around the wall that hour. The pads of his fingers were starting to redden from the rough bricks, his feet were sore from trekking over the uneven earth, but he had barely started to notice, mind elsewhere as he scanned helplessly into the distance of the world surrounding his little kingdom. 

Tommy and Tubbo had been missing for a while. He regrets not noticing sooner, but the paperwork was piling up quickly after they had gained independence, and the burden was all his. After questioning Fundy and Niki, he figures they’ve been gone for roughly two days now. Now that he thinks about it, though, they had been seemingly pretty distant the past few weeks. Talking very little to anyone but each other. Picking fights with himself and Fundy over the littlest things. Wilbur, admittedly, hadn’t thought much of it. They were teenagers after all, and they had just gotten through a pretty gruesome war. He supposes it was just natural for them to get a bit testy.

But testy doesn’t mean vanished. Wilbur was nearing a level of desperation so strong he was going to leave L’Manberg and seek out Dream, heaven forbid. First, though, he passed Fundy for the fifth time, who was crouched near the entrance gates attempting to fix some of the damage done to the wall during some of their skirmishes. 

“Fundy,” Wilbur started, earning a dramatic groan from the man, “Have you seen Tommy? Or Tubbo?”

“Well, Wilbur,” Fundy started as he put down his tools and stood up, dusting himself off, “that is a very interesting question. Because, unless Tommy and Tubbo have magically become a part of this _fucking wall _, no, I haven’t seen them!”__

__Wilbur sighed. Fundy had been a bit aggravated recently as well. He should have expected this. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry for bothering you.”_ _

__Fundy’s intense glare softened slightly. “No… no, it’s okay. Sorry. I’m worried too.” He paused, and glanced over Wilbur’s shoulder at the expanse of buildings past the L’Manberg walls. “Maybe you should go asking around. It couldn’t hurt.”_ _

__Turning to follow his gaze, Wilbur nodded. “Couldn’t hurt.” he echoed as he started walking along the wooden path towards the heart of the server._ _

__\-------_ _

__So far, Wilbur had been entirely unsuccessful in his search. He’d asked every single soul he saw, with.... mixed results._ _

__Punz had offered very non-committal answers. He didn’t seem like he was listening, and considering that Wilbur is pretty sure he saw earbuds hidden under his hood, he probably wasn’t. Wilbur wasn’t surprised._ _

__Purpled, to his credit, had seemed a lot more concerned. He offered to help look, even, but Wilbur looked at the gunpowder lightly coating his hands and decided it was a better idea to leave him be._ _

__He even saw Dream, George, and Sapnap, and though apprehensive, he swallowed his pride to ask them for help. Sapnap and George had been sparring in the little expanse of field they could find, Dream sitting on a hill a few feet away, watching them fight and offering some encouraging words here and there. Wilbur wordlessly sat down next to him, Dream making no acknowledgement of his arrival other than a slight tilt of his head towards Wilbur._ _

__“Surprised to see you ‘round here.” Dream offered after five minutes of shockingly comfortable silence._ _

__Wilbur hummed a response. “Surprised I came out this way.”_ _

__“Why did you?” Dream asks, finally turning around to look at him._ _

__Wilbur frowned. “Tommy and Tubbo have been missing for around two days.”_ _

__Dream mirrored his frown. “Two days? And you’re just now looking?”_ _

__“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ve been shitty.” Wilbur huffed. “I’ve been drowning in paperwork, but that’s no excuse, I know.” He pauses and looks away, staring blankly at Sapnap and George tussling on the grass. It looks familiar. “I know.”_ _

__“Do you know where they are?” he asks, finally._ _

__“No. Sorry.” Dream says. “I really am sorry.”_ _

__Wilbur stands up, glancing at the bandaged wounds Dream still had from the past few weeks. “Me too.” He says, walking down the hill and back towards the wooden walkway. He doesn’t get a response. He didn’t expect one._ _

__\--------_ _

__There is one last place Wilbur hadn’t checked, and as he walks towards the grand stone steps leading into Eret’s castle, he feels his mood sour._ _

__The sun is still up, so the doors to the castle are propped open, and Wilbur quietly steps into the large entrance hall. The wooden doors near the back are barely shut, and he can see light filtering through the crack between them. He takes a step forward before noticing he’s not the only person in the room._ _

__“Wilbur?” Karl asks. He’s coming out of one of the many side hallways that sprawl from the entrance, holding a tray piled with small snacks, a smaller tray in the center with four small cups full of what Wilbur assumes is tea. He’s frozen in place, looking nervous, and that energy is quick to spread to Wilbur._ _

__“Hello, Karl.” Wilbur says, continuing his walk towards the throne room. “Have you seen Tommy and Tubbo recently?” He asks, like clockwork._ _

__Karl makes a small choking sound. “What are you doing here?” he sputters in lieu of answering, hustling over to Wilbur’s side while making an effort not to spill anything on the tray._ _

__Wilbur continues looking straight ahead. “I think you know, don’t you?”_ _

__“Well, I, yeah-” Karl huffs in frustration. “I do. I do know why you’re here. And that’s why I’m going to tell you that it’s a bad idea to be here right now.”_ _

__Wilbur pauses. “Why?”_ _

__“Are you going to go if I tell you?”_ _

__“...No.”_ _

__“Well just look for yourself then, I guess.”_ _

__Wilbur gives Karl an unimpressed stare before approaching the dark wooden doors and pulling them open. His breath hitches in his throat, and he freezes, barely registering how Karl continues his walk forwards and sets his tray down on one of the arms of Eret’s throne._ _

__The problem, Wilbur thinks, is not Eret, or his throne, or how casually he’s sitting in it, or the crown sitting on his head like he was born with it._ _

__No. The problem is the two smaller thrones propped up neatly on either side of Eret’s large one. The _problem _, Wilbur screams internally, is the two boys he’s been looking for sitting in said thrones, both of them turned to look at Eret and Karl, who are handing each of them a smaller plate of food and a cup of tea.___ _

____“Oh, Wilbur!” Eret calls out, monotone voice betraying the slightly plastic smile on his face. “Good to see you!”_ _ _ _

____“What the fuck?” is all Wilbur has to say in response before rushing forwards. “Tommy?” he says, starting to shout. “Tubbo? Where have you two fucking been? It’s been two days!”_ _ _ _

____Tommy and Tubbo freeze. “Two days?” They both echo simultaneously. Wilbur feels himself falter. “Try a week!” The boys shout, turning to face him completely, tea forgotten, and his blood runs cold._ _ _ _

____There are two smaller crowns perched on each of their heads, and both of them glare with an intensity Wilbur has never seen them have, not even during the war. Not during the betrayal. Not during the duel. Tubbo’s right eye and Tommy’s left are just… empty, replaced with the same glowing white Wilbur knows that Eret hides behind his sunglasses. They look furious, and they both stand up and take a step down from their thrones at the same time._ _ _ _

____“It- it can’t have been that long!” Wilbur says, instinctively taking a step backwards._ _ _ _

____“Oh really?” They ask. Another step forward. Wilbur notices that their bruises they had gotten in combat are almost nearly faded. “Are you sure about that?”_ _ _ _

____Wilbur takes a deep, shaky breath and tries to steady his voice. “We need to go, guys. Why are you even here in the first place?”_ _ _ _

____“Needed the medical help you couldn’t even be bothered to give us.” They reply, calmly, despite the rage burning in their good eyes. “Couldn’t even be bothered to check on us after the war? Send a care package to the infirmary, maybe? Fundy got so overworked trying to help us out while dealing with his own injuries that we just left. Didn’t want to torture him more.”_ _ _ _

____Their rant shocks Wilbur out of his stupor enough to allow him to take in their appearance. Really take it in. Tommy is leaned heavily towards his left side, limping slightly as he walks. A burn scar creeps up above the neckline of Tubbo’s collar, and his right sleeve is tied off at the elbow. “I- you- What? What happened to you?”_ _ _ _

____The boys pause at that, and hurt expressions cloud their faces. “You didn’t even notice?” Tommy whispers, overlapping Tubbo’s whisper of, “You didn’t even care?” They seem at a loss for words, switching between meeting each other's eyes, and staring down Wilbur._ _ _ _

____Eret stands up behind them, artificial smile on his face falling, replaced with genuine anger. “I think it’s time you leave, Wilbur.”_ _ _ _

____“What?” Wilbur says, breaking the eye contact he had been holding with Tommy to glare at Eret. “Fuck off, Eret. I’m taking my boys back home with me. I have to try and… reverse whatever the _fuck _it is you’ve done with them.”___ _ _ _

______Eret takes a step down and stands between the two teenagers, who are leering at Wilbur with the same lost expression, tears welling up at the corners of their eyes. Wilbur feels tears well up in his own. “If I remember correctly,” Eret says, lifting his sunglasses to rest them on top of his head. “You’re in _my _castle.”___ _ _ _ _ _

________Wilbur backs down slightly. Those eyes really are fucking terrifying, even if he would never admit that to Eret. He meets Eret’s eyes. “I’m coming back for them.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I am honestly astonished that you can’t see that you are the problem here, Wilbur.” Eret says softly. “You’re not the only one who sees them like family.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Wilbur scoffs. “Betray your own family, Eret? Those are your family values?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I do regret it. But we both got what we wanted in the end, didn’t we?” He stops to think. “At least I still retained what little of my morals I have left. I helped my people, my family, in their time of need. Can you say the same, Wilbur? Really, can you? How’s Fundy been doing? Or Niki? They doing well? Do you even know?” Eret spits out. “You won your independence, sure, and that’s fine with you, I’m sure. Those weren’t your discs you sacrificed, after all...”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Tommy and Tubbo jerk back to life as Eret trails off. “We gave up everything for you!” They shout. “And you couldn’t even care to notice we left!” Both of them cluster with Eret, who wraps an arm around the both of them “Some fucking leader you are.” They hiss._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Wilbur deflates. Eret does too, and he simply stares at Wilbur, sadness recognizable even in the glowing voids of his eyes. Tommy and Tubbo have begun whispering to one another. Their synchronized movements really are starting to creep Wilbur out at his core. He feels a hand on his arm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Let me walk you home, yeah?” Karl offers. “It’s getting dark.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Wilbur doesn’t have the energy to pull away, though he really wants to. He’s somewhat grateful for the opportunity to leave. “I- yeah. Ok.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They walk in silence most of the way, Wilbur only speaking once they reach the gates of L’Manberg._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I’m sorry.” He whispers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Why are you telling me that?” Karl says, looking him in the eye. “Do something about it.” He whispers in return before turning back towards the castle looming in the distance._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Wilbur’s left standing on the warped wood at the entrance. The walls have been patched up nicely. There are freshly planted flowers lining the walls that look like Niki’s gentle handiwork. Artificial beehives are placed strategically around. He never noticed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I think it might be too late.” He whispers to himself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> thank u for reading!!! gonna probably write some more for this au soon? hopefully some fluffy stuff. or less angst. i just want eret, tommy, and tubbo to be happy dskjdjksdj


End file.
